OREM, Utah (AP) — The sniper who assassinated Charlie Kirk has not yet been identified by law enforcement and is believed to have jumped off the roof and fled into a neighborhood after firing a single shot, the authorities said Thursday in disclosing that they recovered a high-powered rifle from the scene.
The shooter is believed to have blended in on the university campus where Kirk was shot and appeared to be of “college age,” police said as they continued to investigate the latest act of political violence to befall America.
“I can tell you this was a targeted event,” said Robert Bohls, the top FBI agent in Salt Lake City.
Kirk was killed with a gunshot from a distant rooftop at the Utah Valley University campus, where he was speaking on Wednesday, authorities said. Federal, state and local authorities were working what they called “multiple active crime scenes." As the search stretched into a second day, they provided little information about the shooter’s identity, motive, location or evidence and were reviewing grainy security videos of a mysterious person in dark clothing.
“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation," Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said. "I want to be very clear this is a political assassination.”
Two people were detained Wednesday, but neither was determined to be connected to the shooting and both were released, public safety officials said.
The circumstances of the shooting drew renewed attention to an escalating threat of political violence in the United States that in the last several years has cut across the ideological spectrum. The assassination drew bipartisan condemnation, but a national reckoning over ways to prevent political grievances from manifesting as deadly violence seemed elusive.
Videos posted to social media from Utah Valley University show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.” A shot rings out, and Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators gasp and scream before people start running away.
Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, were set to visit with Kirk’s family on Thursday in Salt Lake City. According to a person familiar with Vance’s plans but not authorized to speak about them publicly, the Vances will visit Utah instead of attending an outdoor ceremony to commemorate Sept. 11 in New York.
Vance posted a remembrance on X chronicling their friendship, dating back to initial messages in 2017, through Vance’s Senate run and ultimately praying after hearing of the shooting. Kirk played a pivotal role in setting up the second Trump administration, Vance wrote.
“So much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organize and convene,” Vance wrote. “He didn’t just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.”
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